Oxygen-generator.



M S OLAWSON OXYGEN GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1908.

Patented July 19, 1910. Q

2 BHEETS-BHEET 1.

M. s. GLAWSON.

OXYGEN GENERATOR. V Y APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 29,1909. 9 4,492 Patented July 19, 1910.

2 EHEBTB-BHEET 2.

thereof, and then by heating MONROE S. CLAWSON, OF NEW YORK, Y.

XYGEN- GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented July 19, 11916.

Application filed July 29, 1909. Serial 1'10. 510,241.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Mon non S. Gmwson, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oxygen-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatuses for generating oxygen and has for one of its objects the provision of a device that utilizes the well known chemical affinity of ozone for oxidizablc substances by which such sub stances absorb the oxygen to produce oxids the oxidized material the oxygen is released and may be caught and stored.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved form of ozonizer consisting of a glass tube having its outer surface covered with tin foil and connected with one terminal of: the secondary of an induction coil or other high potential genrator and the other terminal of the induction coil connected with a spiral mounted or supported in a central position in the tube by an insulating plug. By this construction the current is more evenly distributed through the tube, the inter-imluctimi between the spirals assisting in throwing the current to the end of the spiral and making the discharge more diliusible.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved device "for detecting the changes of temperature. in the metal rctort containing the oxidizable material consisting in securing a bar of metal to the middle of the retort widely ditlcring from the iron of the retort'in the thermo-clectric series and connecting said bar to one pole of a. galvanometer, while its other pole is connected by wire with one oi the pipe connections leading to the retort but remotely therefrom so as not to be influenced by the heat of the .rctort. By this construction the mean temperature of the retort is indicated at all times.

Still another object. of my invention con sists' in the provision oi an ozone and oxygen indicator consisting oi. a glass bulb circular in one dimension and fiat in the other and having holes in the circular portion, one of which is'arrangml to be secured to the discharge tube of the retort, the other forming :he outletof the bulb,.and a hole in one of the flat sides over which is secured a frame holding a fabric saturated with a chemical that changes liS characteristics when in the presence of ozone. Secured over the inlet. of the bulb are two spark rods covered with a combustible material that will incandcscc in the presence of pure oxygen, said spark rods being connected with the induction coil or other electric energizer.

A further object of my in the provision of a storage tank for the oxygen that utilizes the principle of the compressing quality of a water column and consists of the oxygen storage tank and a water feed tank on a higher level than the storage tank, the tanks having their lower ends connected by a pipe having a radiating coil intermediate of the tanks. In place of the water feed tank the gas storage tank may be connected with the commercial water supply system. The discharge pipe from thereinvention consists tort ends in a coil in the bottom of the gas storage tank so that the oxygen is cooled by contact. with the water in the tank and when steam is used to assist in liberating the oxygen it is condensed. I also provide an auxiliary circulating coil connected with the tank adjacent to its top and bottom and tapped into it. at. interv: ls therebetween to keep the temperature of the water in the storage tank reduced, this coil being especially desirable at the end of the discharge from the retortv when the percentage of steam is increased.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 'l is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus comprising my invention, Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view of the ozone and oxygen indicator, and Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the storage tank.

in the drawings similar tcrs indicate eorrespomling eral views.

1 imlicates the retort employed in my apparatus which is made preferably of iron and contains material such as an oXid of copper, mercury or other substance capable of oxidation, deoxidation and reoxidation repeatedly.

2 indicates an inlet tube tapped into one end of the retort 1. and 3 a di .iarge tube tapped into the other end of the retort.

4; indicates an ozonizer SQCtllfi-ld to inlet tube 2 which, as shown in the drawings, is

of novel Construction but any other ozone generator may be substituted if desired. The ozonizer shown consists of a glass tube or cylinder 5 having a cap 6 on one end, into which tube 2is tapped, while its other end is plugged as shown at 7. I

8 indicates a covering of metal foil applied to the outer surface of glass tube or cylinder 5 and connected with one high potential terminal of induction coil 9 by means of wire 10.

11 indicates a wir spiral secured in plug .7 and. extending centrally of the tube or cylinder 5, said spiral being connected by means of wire 12 with the other tcrn'iinal of the induction. coil. 9.

13 indicates an air-pump connected by means of tube 14. with ozorfizer l and tapped into plug 7 as shown.

It will be understood that when the induction coil 9 is in operation and air pumped into ozonizer 41- from the pump 18 the electric; discharges in the tube 5 transform a percentage of the air into ozone which passing through tube 2 into retort 1 oxidizes its contents.

The storage apparatus consists of the gas storage tank 15 which is normally kept full of water from gravity tank 16 connected with tank 15 by means of tube 17, 18 indieating a radiating coil intermediate of the endso'f the tube to keep the temperature of the water reduced. The end of discharge tube 3 empties into tank 15, having a coil 19 on its delivery end.

20 indicates an auxiliary radiating coil connected near the top and bottom of tank 7 15 and tapped into it at intervals between its ends to cool the contents of the tank, and is especially useful at the end of a discharge, when steam is used to assist the separation of oxygen from the metal oxid and steam in increased quantity accompanies the oxygen.

21 indicates the discharge tube of the storage tank 15 controlled by valve 22.

23 indicates a steam generator or boiler connected by tube 24: with inlet tube 2 having a valve 25 therein.

26 indicates a valve between ozcnizer l and steam generator 23, and 27 a tap bctween generator 23 and retort 1 that may be used to make a test of the ozone before it reaches the retort or it can be used to relieve the pressure on the retort.

The retort 1 is heated in any suitable manner, a burner 28 being shown for the purpose in the drawings but it will be apparent that any other suitable device may be substituted. without altering the spirit of my inyention.

As stated above the retort 1 is made preferably of iron though any other metal may be substituted without atlecting the spirit of my invention.

In order that I may be able to know the access temperature of the retort at all times I provide a. pyrometer comprising a galvanometer 29 having its positive side connected by wire 30 with a thermopile of which one electrod. {consists of the retort 1 and the other a ba ll of any metal having an electrical difference with the retort, as, for example, the retort being of iron the bar 31 could be made of German silver. The end oi the bar 31 where secured to retort 1 is preferably made wider as shown at- 352 and welded or otherwise secured to the retort opposite its middle so that the galvanometer will at all times register the mean temperature of the retort. The negative side of the galvanometer 2'8 is connected by wire 32 with pipe or tube 2 at a point remote from the retort 1 so that the heat thereof will not reach it and set up a counter electro-motive force.

Between retort 1 and storage tank 15 I secure an ozone and oxygen indicator consisting of a bulb 33, circular in one dimension and flat in the other as shown in the drawings, and secured to tube 3 by valved connection 3%, and having an outlet 35 in its upper side.

36 indicates an opening in one of the flat sides of the bulb and 37 frame having a piece of fabric 38 mounted thereon and saturated with any chemical that changes color or otherwise shows the presence of ozone, such as starch saturated with an alcoholic solution oi tetramethyldiamidodiphenylmethane, said frame 37 being held in any suitable manner, so as to cover opening 36.

indicates spark rods covered with combustible material and connected by means of wires 40 with the two poles of induction coil 9, said spark rods and their coverings being used to indicate when the retort is discharging pure oxygen. by the coverings of the rods 39 igniting or becoming incandescent. \Vhcn this stage is reached the discharge through the bulb 33 is stopped by closing the valve in connection 3-1 and the oxygenallowed to enter the storage tank.

41 indicates a valve between connection-34 and tank 15 that is kept closed until pure oxygen is indicated by the spark rods 39 and is opened when the valve in connection 34 is closed.

.ln operationrthe valves 2!, 27 and il are closed, the induction coil 9 started in operation and air forced through ozonizer 4- by means of air pump 13. The air carrying the ozone passes through pipe 2 into retort 1 where the ozone attaches itself to the material therein, which may as stated be an oxid of copper mercury or other metal capable of easy oxidation, and oxidizes it the nitrogen and a small. percentage of oxygen passing on through the retort and out through the bulb 8%. As soon as the material in retort i]: has absorbed all of the ozone tha it is capable of absorbing the ozone passes on through the retort and out through bulb 33 with the nitrogen, its presence with the nitrogen. being indicated by the change in .the appearance of the fabric 38 which is, as stated, saturated with a chemical that changes color when exposed to ozone. At this time the operation of pump 13 is discontinued, the valves 26 and 34 closed, and the temperature of the retort 1 raised by the heater shown as burner 28. The temperature of the retort is indicated by the scale on galvanometer 29, and as soon as the retort and its contents is heated sufficiently to cause decomposition of the oxid therein so as to liberate the oxygen the. valve in connection 34: is opened to permit the escape of the gases liberated by the decomposition of the oxid through bulb 33. At this time the current from induction coil 9 is turned into spark rods 39.

As is well known the gas given ofi from a retort during the early period of discharge is not always pure oxygen and it is desirable to permit it to escape, but in order that I may know when the gas escaping is pure oxygen I provide the indicator to be used if desired comprising the spark rods 39 cov-.

ered with acombustible material. During the early period of the discharge the combustible material on rods 39 will glow or be brought to a red heat but as soon as pure oxygen is being discharged the combustible material will ignite or become incandescent. At this time the valve in connection 84: is closed the valve 41 opened and the oxygen permitted to pass into storage tank 15.

As with some substances such as potassium permanganate it is necessary to use steam to assist in liberating the oxygen I provide a steam generator 23 which may be utilized for this purpose if desired, the steam being introduced into'retort 1 through pipe 2 by opening valve 25. i

As soon as the oxygen has been separated from the oxid the operation above described may be repeated the oxidation and deoxidation being carried on indefinitely.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is' 1. An apparatus for generating oxygen comprising a retortcontaining oxidizable material, an ozone generator communicating with said retort, a storage tank communicating with the retort, and means to raise the temperature of the retort to release the oxygen from the material therein.

2. An apparatus for generating oxygen comprising a retort containing oxidizable material, an ozone generator communicating with-said retort, a storage tank communicating with the retort, an ozone indicator located between the retort and storage tank, and means to raise the temperature of the retort to, release the oxygen from the ma terial therein.

3. An apparatusv for generating oxygen comprising a retort containing oxidizable material, an ozone generator communicating with said retort, a storage tank communicating' with the retort, means to raise the temperature of the retort to release the oxygen from the material therein, and a temperature indicator attached to said retort.

4. An apparatus for generating oxygen comprising a retort containing oxidizable material, an ozone generator communicating with said retort, a storagetank communicating with the retort, an ozone indicator located between the retort and storage tank, means to raise the temperature of the retort to release the oxygen from the material therein, and a temperature indicator attached to said retort.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MONROE S. CLAW'SON.

WVitnesses:

ANNIE L. CLAWSON,

ARTHUR C. HoLLIs'rEn. 

